Gibbo675

Hi Johnster, No. no . no. no. no !!!!!!!! It is all to do with the capacity of the steam circuit to both fill and empty the cylinders when the time period for doing so is shortened due to road speed, period. Try filling a tender tank with a four inch fire hose and see how long it takes you compared with a six inch water main as fitted to water columns. It is all to do with flow rate. Gibbo.

Hi Tom, I can tell you from first hand experience that they do not wish to pay for that knowledge. I was head hunted by the NRM in 2008 to lead a team to rebuild that LNER A3 contraption, the package they offered was an insult and I told them as much. I also told them that the locomotive would end up costing three times what ought and be delivered three years later than expected unless they engaged a proper engineer for a proper salary rather than offering peanuts and milk bottle tops, along with the luxury of an old MK1 to sleep in. I was completely wrong it ended up costing five times more than it ought and was seven years late. For the amount that the NRM wasted on that locomotive I could have quite easily organised the building of two brand new locomotives and a spare boiler. As for the cracks in the frames, the question I have is how did no one spot them during the overhaul rather than after it, especially as it was stripped to the frames and supposedly inspected. The Human Remains woman at the interview told me how I was giving up the chance of working on an international icon. I told her I was giving up the chance of a huge pay cut and the chance to not sleep in my own bed !!! http://www.rail.co.uk/rail-news/2016/national-railway-museum-reveal-four-and-a-half-million-pound-cost-for-restoring-flying-scotsman/ Still they knew best didn't they. Gibbo.

Hi Stephen, The Scots had three cylinders of a shorter stroke than the Kings which allow for more power at elevated speeds in the same way that Gresley and Bullied Pacifics were both fast and powerful, this allows for a different torque characteristic and better cylinder filling at speed. Another factor that is not always appreciated is that the steam circuits of the Scots, and the Gresley and Bullied pacifics is considerably better designed in that the steam pipes are not only of much larger diameter but also much straighter giving a greater manifold effect at speed and reduced boundary layer friction, also better exhaust passage design, both again assisting the cylinder filling and exhaust back pressures at speed. Bullied went one step further with the manifold effect within the steam chest by way of outside admission rather than inside admission, this also assisted the exhaust by better mixing the exhaust steam further from the blast pipe tip thus reducing the pulse effect that can lift a fire bed under conditions of high speed and power. Stroke to wheel diameter ratios: Scots 26:81 = .32 A3/A4 26:80 = .325 MN/WC/BB 24:74 = .324 King 28:78 = .358 Star 26:80.5 = .323 It would seem that the King class was a somewhat backward step from the Star class of twenty one years earlier. That a King class can start a very heavy train is not disputed, however hauling that train at high speed is beyond them compared to a Scot as most of the power they produce works against itself by way of the arrangement of the steam circuit. The LMS Princess Royal class were just as powerful and just a sluggish as the Kings for the very same reason. Gibbo. Hi John, As described above, it is what you can't see from the outside that makes all the difference. The full arrangement of the chimney extends down into the smoke box to about the level of the top hinge door strap. The full height of the chimney would have been about 36" as measured from the top of what is seen atop the smoke box. Gibbo.

Hi Stephen, The roads versus rail argument very rarely takes into account of how the government plans to tax the populace. It would seem that these days road tax and fuel duty generate considerably more than rail fares and goods tariffs that then has to be ploughed back into infrastructure. Gibbo.

Ha ! When they were rebuilt (converted) they ended up as Improved Kings by quite some margin. Gibbo.

Hi Monty, It looks like the first coach is one of those Triang Caley coaches that has been converted into one of the more usual 57' types. Very well done y the looks of it. Gibbo.

Hi Johnster, To be fair 666 is the number of the Beast, which is neither Lucifer or the Devil either. Gibbo.

Hi Martyn, Don't forget the rain strip around the water filler. Gibbo.

Hi Fatadder, Interestingly the legal process by which Russia claimed Crimea was the same as was used by western interests to wrest Kosovo from Serbia back in the day. Back on 23 of February 2008 Vladimir Putin described the declaration of independence by Kosovo as a "terrible precedent" that will come back to hit the West "in the face." From the Sydney Morning Herald: https://www.smh.com.au/world/putin-calls-kosovo-independence-terrible-precedent-20080223-gds2d5.html So as reported by the Australians, by using the rules dreamt up by the western powers which set precedent at the UN, Russia played the same card with Crimea, quite simple really. UNSCR 1244 makes for interesting reading also. Gibbo.

Hi Folks, How about John Dee, or just for fun Aleister Crowley. Gibbo.

Hi Phil, If you heat up 304 stainless it does become magnetic, however at the temperature required your cheese will not so much have melted but be somewhat burnt to a crisp ! Gibbo.

Hi Clive, If you want a day out in Theddlethorpe sometime in the future then you could borrow this*: It might not be completely radiation proof but it is unpainted !!! Gibbo. * You may have to breathe in a slight.

Hi Wickham, If smoke is to be banned those new fandangled locomotives will just have to VAPE !!!! Gibbo.

Hi Mr Wombat, Here is a quote from Aldous Huxley that may make you smile: "Beware of being too rational. In the country of the insane, the integrated man doesn't become king. He gets lynched." Gibbo.

Hi Northmoor, It could be argued that humans have stolen all of the metals form the earth and smelted them with fire which Prometheus stole form the gods. I may also be asked, who claimed the earth in the first place, how did they do that, and why do we all put up with them placing themselves between us and our earth ? Gibbo.

Hi Martyn, Having worked in fabrication shops I can tell you that most of the chaps have no idea quite what they are making at times, some don't even seem to be all that interested. The only real concern is that what is made is made to the drawing and fits within any tolerances given. With regard water filler hatches, the chaps in the fab shop would not have any way of knowing if the locomotive would be boiler fitted or not and just build the body shell to the drawing as it was presented to them. Only if there are amendments or deletions would such details be left off a fabrication. These two seem to shew hatches reasonably: Gibbo.

Hi Mike, Mr Bullied's Q1 class of locomotive had cylinders of the same stroke, yet with an inch extra on diameter and an extra 30lb of boiler pressure, so the inside cylinder layout causing hot boxes does seem to me be be a nonsense. As for being simple the Q1's were certainly that ! Gibbo.

Hi Martyn, That is because you cannot make it your own without detracting from where it started, unlike eBay specials that were tooled up forty odd years ago ! Gibbo,

Hi Monty, I think you find it is this nearly started model, despite the different jib runner. Gibbo.

Sutton Loco works ??? That's cheating !!!

Hi Tony, To be fair to Clive, the subject is only the painting of DMU window frames so there are certain considerations to be taken into account. DMU's are not strictly coaches. Clive hasn't glazed his coaches or his DMU's either, so putting masking tape on the glazing that isn't there would be very tricky. Unpainted DMU window frames don't need painting anyway, even if they haven't got any glazing fitted. Gibbo.

Hi Melmerby, You ate quite correct, the class 37 with only the barrier/translator wagons is to be seen a minute two earlier. Gibbo.

Hi Martyn, I've got myself another 25 which is going to be a late 25/2 probably 7616, I shall be cutting up a Lima class33 body to provide the cantrail vents. So far I have, 24 021, 24 033, 5184 (25 034), 25 064, and 25 317 all are painted blue with arrows except for 24 033 which has a crest. Which means I am missing 24/1's of both cab styles, a 25/0 and 25/2's of both body styles, only another four types to do if my latest is numbered as a 25/2. Also all of the above are blue and so a two tone green and an economy green version might look good in the mix. My plans so far are 5081 in economy green with full yellow ends, a grey roof and arrows, 24 136 in economy green with a blue boiler blank and a crest, 25 247 in blue just because and also it was a Springs Branch engine and 7616 (25 266) two tone green and tablet catcher recesses. I have even considered 24 055 which in 1973 had odd ball cabs with a head code cab fitted at No.1 end and the original cab with discs fitted at the other, that will definitely be for another day though. Gibbo.

Hi Folks, The first few seconds shew a BG being hauled by a single HST power car. Gibbo.

Does that account for the occasional acidic remark ? Apologies for the incorrect spelling all the same. Gibbo.